Anna + Patrick | Pennsylvania Country Club Wedding

Anna and Patrick walked together with the intercession of their patron saints through the journey of dating, engagement, and their wedding day. Although the path was not always easy, they trusted in God’s providence and found strength in his love.

Their simple but incredibly elegant wedding overlooked the green Overbrook golf course from a vintage country club in Pennsylvania, a location where other family members celebrated their wedding days as well. It was something very meaningful, a theme that Anna strove to incorporate into even the littlest details.

From the Bride: Patrick is the brother of one of my good friends from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and his sister set us up. We started dating the summer after college, once we were back in the Philadelphia area where both our families live. The first time we hung out as friends was at a Dave Matthews concert--music has always been a common love for us--and a few weeks later Patrick asked me out on a date. The rest is history! We dated for about three years, and then he popped the question. A year after that we were married.

Throughout our relationship, Patrick and I prayed about our future together. We both have strong devotions to St. Joseph and the rosary, so those were two spiritual constants as we dated. During engagement we cultivated devotions to St. Cecilia and St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, because they kept popping up everywhere in random ways.

Saints Cecilia and Gabriel were the only two saints painted on the ceiling of the church where we got married, though we didn't know it at the time. Was it a coincidence? I think not!

Eucharistic adoration also became something more important to us as we prepared for our wedding. We felt we needed the extra grace, as engagement proved to be challenging. There was a lot of waiting and trusting in God that stretched us in uncomfortable ways, and this experience was true during most of our dating as well. And yet, God’s hand guided us the whole time, and we see his providence in many ways when we look back.

Our wedding ceremony was something we spent a lot of time planning. Choosing the readings, music, and all the parts of the ceremony that best represented how we wanted to honor God was important to us. Patrick and I wanted to create a beautiful wedding liturgy for our guests.

Our nuptial Mass was more traditional, with classic music selections such as "Be Thou My Vision," and we splurged to hire a violinist, an instrument we both adore. This was also a nod to St. Cecilia, patroness of musicians, on whose feast day we unknowingly started dating. The presiding priest was a good friend of ours who was newly ordained that past June. He was so intentional and detail-oriented, especially in his homily, which was filled with his words of wisdom and humor.

The general aesthetic of the day was simple, classy, and meaningful. Beauty is very important to me, as well as incorporating meaning and intention in every detail--I’m a true melancholic at heart! Some of my favorite things from my wedding day were wearing my mother's beautiful, 40-year-old veil with lace appliques, the bride and bridesmaid bouquets with all my favorite flowers, my pearl rosary from Lourdes, France wrapped around my bouquet (which was given to me from a dear friend when we volunteered there), and the pearl and turquoise bracelet I wore with a St. Therese medal attached. The bracelet was my maternal grandmother’s, and the St. Therese medal was my paternal grandmother’s. I have always shared a love for St. Therese with my grandmother.

I wasn't planning on incorporating all these things initially. I didn't have them all at the beginning of engagement, and I didn’t think of myself as particularly sentimental, but everything aligned perfectly. Once I realized the meaning behind the items, they were incredibly special to me. I felt I was honoring them and the stories they represented.

Another meaningful element was our reception venue, which was the same venue my sister had for her wedding as well as my parents many years ago! Not only is the location gorgeous and elegant with its old-world, slight “Great Gatsby” charm, but it has become a family tradition, and that made it all the more fun.

Our wedding day was an absolute blast. In so many ways, it took us four years of hard work to arrive at the start of our marriage, but Patrick and I couldn't have asked for a better kick-off.

From the Photographer: Anna and Patrick's wedding day was an elegant, simple affair with a 20s vibe. From the details that Anna chose to wear: her mother's wedding veil and vintage pearl earrings, to the careful thought and attention they put into selections for their nuptial Mass, it was clear the most important celebration to them was their love for each other, their families, and God. It was such a joy and honor to be welcomed into their day and granted the privilege of documenting their wedding.

Blog

Anna + Patrick | Pennsylvania Country Club Wedding

SPOKEN BRIDE